Albums of the Quarter #3
Time flies by so fast. I feel like an old man wanting to cite Pink Floyd lyrics. (Sorry, I actually did it.).
The first edition happened almost a year ago, and the second edition, almost half a year ago.
It’s a pleasure sharing these albums, even though no one might ever listen to them. They can serve as a history for myself to look back on, and see what I was interested to in that period of time.
Not gonna lie, it would be my pleasure to have people also indulge in the same musical adventures as I do.
Without further ado…
Let’s talk Grammys
Since we’re talking music… The Grammys happened this week.
I’ll say this: if the academy actually cared about music, Beyonce wouldn’t “have to” get the “Best Country Album of the Year” because they would’ve given it to her when she actually had a great album. Same for Kendrick.
Every year it’s the same bs. Everyone just accepts it. This year, however, it was pretty clear what the measure was for the artists to receive the prizes, and, again, it wasn’t about the music. I mean, did they even listen to the Beyonce album to call it “best country album”?
Great artists. Great records. Stupid academy.
Was the Grammys ever about music, though?
Never has been.
Ye was right, you know? (That one time in the Grammys, not in February 2025… fucking hell.)
The Albums
Anyway, let’s get to the Albums of the Quarter, third edition.
These past ~5 months I’ve been listening exploring some different artists, and trying new things to see what I vibe with.
Artists featured this time:
- Mike Dean
- Boards of Canada
- Klasmos
- GosT
- Dream Wife
- Второй Ка
- Talking Points
- FINNEAS
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Jesse Welles
- Glimlip
- HYUKOH
- Molchat Doma
- Valley
Some of these were recommendations from good people, like Hugo, Anton, and Carl.
Do you know any of these? If you do, send me a message on X (Twitter), I love chatting about music anytime.
The music:
About the music
Starting from the top, we have two albums and artists I recently discovered: Mike Dean, and Boards of Canada. Both coming with an electronic, ambient music based on synths and drum machines.
Ever since I bought my Korg Minilogue, synth music has interested me a bunch. Needless to say, I am obsessed about these albums. They’re perfect to work, and get in the zone, and so is II by Klasmos.
GosT was suggested by my friend Hugo. I mainly listen to it on the gym, when it’s time to lift some heavy weights. It’s like electronic heavy metal music!
Some fun discoveries were Второй Ка, a russian duo, Dream Wife, an indie rock group, and Molchat Doma, another russian group. Honestly, the songs just have that alternative/indie vibe that hit the right places.
A couple of favorite discoveries were: Talking Points, and Valley. Two alternative bands that have this nostalgic, almost emo vibe to them.
The most interesting albums, though, were AAA by Hyukoh, and Patchwork by Jesse Welles.
Hyukoh mixes ambient music with rock, and creates this otherworldly blend of music sensations that it’s hard to describe. Give it a listen. It’s worth it.
Jesse Welles just struck a chord. I found him on YouTube one day. There’s something about his vibe that makes me think of early Dylan. Political lyrics, harsh voice, weird acoustic guitar playing. Definitely has a character of its own.
The two more mainstream artists are Finneas and Sabrina, both which I had no interest prior to these albums.
When it comes to the Finneas album, I love the chord progressions, and the melodies. They’re unique, in a sense, especially when it comes to pop music. And, in my opinion, what makes it shine is the fact that Finneas had a whole band write with him. That really enriches the songs.
Now, Sabrina is new to me. I started liking her songs because of Jack Antonoff’s production, and stayed for her catchy vocals. I usually don’t like “girly” songs, but there was something about listening to her that just clicked. Great production, fun lyrics.
Lastly, I’ve been searching for something to listen to while I read, and Glimlip was exactly what I was looking for. It’s a lofi that’s interesting enough to keep your dopamine up, but modest enough that you can focus on reading literature without being distracted by the songs. It helped me immerse myself into books.
If you like any of the small albums, consider purchasing some of their albums or songs on iTunes, or CD. It helps these upcoming artists a lot.